


An answer left unsaid.

by DerpyDots



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Break Up, Established Relationship, Long-Term Relationship(s), M/M, Starting Over
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-08
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-05-25 10:51:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6192163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DerpyDots/pseuds/DerpyDots
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The heaviness of the air was evident from the second he stood in front of the doorway. Something was not right, and it made BaekHyun feel uneasy and he didn't know why. At least not yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is something that has been rolling around in my head for almost three years now, but it wasn't until Jung JoonYoung's "Sympathy" was released that I felt inspired enought to finally finish and post this.  
> The second chapter won't take too long to publish since I already have it.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this and expect the other chapter for closure. 
> 
> Thank you in advance.

»※«

The heaviness of the air was evident from the second he stood in front of the doorway. Something was not right, and it made BaekHyun feel uneasy. Worried almost. This was the same door he had opened more than a million times over the last two and a half years, ever since he moved out the dorms and in with his boyfriend. It had been a big step for them both, but even then, he had not felt this anxious. 

He labeled it as overreacting; maybe the heat was getting to him. He had always coped best with the cold weather. Still, BaekHyun could not help the deep breath he took as he unlocked the door. 

ChanYeol had already arrived, if his old converses by the door where anything to go by; but every light in the small apartment was off except for the yellow-y glow coming from the slightly ajar door leading to the only bedroom.

Every step he took towards the door only intensified the queasiness in his stomach, and BaekHyun wanted to blame it on the slightly undercooked noodles he ate for lunch. However, he was ready to throw up by the time he stood in the doorframe. Usually, he would feel at ease whenever he saw ChanYeol, but all he felt was this sense of dread creeping up his spine. 

“H-hey…” BaekHyun spoke before he could stop himself, the uneasiness spreading all over his body when he saw the way ChanYeol flinched when he heard him.

“You came back early…” his boyfriend’s voice sounded foreign, as if he wasn’t used to it. Like he was some other person. 

A dead silence extended between the couple for longer than expected until BaekHyun spoke again. “What are you doing?” the shorter male leaned against the doorframe, seeking the support his legs could not give him anymore. ChanYeol didn’t respond, instead he just looked away, crumpling the shirt he had in his hands. And he didn’t have to answer, because it was pretty obvious. 

He was packing. He had his suitcase laid atop the bed; almost all his clothes were in there by now and all that was left were a few things here and there.

Silence took over them once again and it made BaekHyun feel more anxious than before because ChanYeol was never the one to shut up, so when he did…it meant nothing good. 

“Say something.” BaekHyun would never be proud of the way his voice quivered as he spoke, but it seemed to work. ChanYeol put the shirt he was holding inside the suitcase, turning to look at him and it was everything BaekHyun needed for an answer. 

He was leaving. ChanYeol was leaving. 

BaekHyun closed his eyes. It was painful to see ChanYeol standing there, in the bedroom they shared for the past couple of years and find someone who looked so foreign now but still made his heart beat faster. He could feel the telltale sensation behind his eyes, but he had to be strong this time and convince himself not to cry. At least not yet. 

“I’m sorry, but…” it was difficult for ChanYeol too; BaekHyun was able to sense that. The taller male was soft when other people’s feeling were included in the decisions he made. 

BaekHyun kept his eyes closed and only listened as the other male finished packing. It helped to calm his breathing as well. He only opened his eyes when he heard the suitcase being closed and put to the ground, and it was in that moment that he felt a sudden wave of anger wash over him. The next thing he knew, he was charging towards the other male, pushing his chest without really hurting him. ChanYeol let him; he thought that was the least he deserved 

BaekHyun didn’t ask him to stay, to reconsider it or to try and look for a solution together. He just wanted to know why, and as he listed numerous reasons of why ChanYeol decided on leaving he felt the other grab him by the wrist, eyes looking down to the floor. 

“Stop.” ChanYeol’s voice was strained; it was as hard on him as it was on BaekHyun. “I don’t want to hurt you…” BaekHyun stopped at that, confused by what ChanYeol. “I’ll go now.” The taller male spoke once again, taking his suitcase and walking towards the door, leaving BaekHyun standing in the middle of the room. 

Soft steps were making their way to the hallway, but BaekHyun could not hear them. His whole body felt numb and his ears were buzzing. He was angry once again, but this time he was blinded by it. Before he knew it, he grabbed the first thing he could find –his glasses case- and threw it at ChanYeol, hitting him on the back. 

“BaekHyun did you jus-“ ChanYeol was cut off as another thing –one of BaekHyun’s lotions- collided with his shoulder. “What are you doing?” the taller male looked confused at first, but quickly changed to something similar to fear as BaekHyun was now aiming a book at him. “Byun BaekHyun, stop!” ChanYeol growled at the other male, avoiding the projectile by a few centimeters. 

“How could you do this to me?!” –BaekHyun took another thing to throw at his boyfriend, too angry to listen to the other trying to stop him. “We’ve been together for ages!” angry tears were now streaming down BaekHyun’s face, but he wasn’t aware of this. 

ChanYeol tried to get closer, only to be hit with a notebook this time. The taller male wanted to say something, but he ended closing his lips instead. Nothing he could say would make this situation better. 

BaekHyun took the nearest object and lifted over his head. “I loved you…I loved you, ChanYeol…” his voice was cracking with every word he said, and tears were now soaking the collar of his shirt. “I thought you felt the same way!” 

Those last words took ChanYeol by surprise, and it got him distracted. The photo frame hit him just above his left eyebrow before shattering on the floor. ChanYeol looked down and he could see the photo behind the cracked glass. It was the first photo they took as a couple, back when they were both in high school and promises of a future together were made. The taller male looked up and he felt his heart ache. BaekHyun was crying profusely now, his hands closed into tight fists and whole body trembling with every sob that escaped his lips. 

“It wasn’t supposed to end like this…” BaekHyun’s voice was barely audible over his sobbing, but it still hit ChanYeol harder than any of the things he threw at him. “Tell me…I need you to tell me…why?” ChanYeol closed his eyes this time, turning around and grabbing his suitcase once again 

An answer was left unsaid, replaced by ChanYeol’s footsteps as he made his way out of the apartment, leaving his keys on the glass bowl by the door. He didn’t look back, not even once, only closing the door behind him. 

BaekHyun was now alone in the small one bedroom apartment. The same apartment that seemed a bit cramped for two guys to live in it. The same apartment that seemed to swallow him whole now. 

BaekHyun backed up until he collided with a wall, sliding down onto the floor. He looked at nothing, letting his tears fall freely. He felt alone, after almost six years…he was all alone. 

»※«


	2. Piecing everything together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six months had gone by after all; it was time he got over it. His friends were worried for him, and he was infinitely grateful for everything they did for him. And BaekHyun understood how difficult they had it, the guys were good friends with the two of them and the last thing he wanted was for them to pick sides in all of this. The problem wasn’t theirs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter #2 after a couple moths of tardiness...I am deeply sorry for that.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this little piece of my imagination. Comments and feedback are truly welcomed!
> 
> For the record...I do love Byun BaekHyun, I do.

»※«

BaekHyun was walking through the supermarket, basket softly balancing with every step he took. He had finally convinced himself to come out of the apartment to do some grocery shopping, and by “convinced himself” he actually meant to say MinSeok –the oldest one in their group of friends- actually threatened him to go and buy something that did not consist of take-out and fast food. 

A bitter smile crept on his lips; he found it somewhat funny that even after what happened he still referred as “their” group of friends. Some habits die hard, it is the only excuse he can come up with. They were together for a long time, friends ever since they were in elementary and suddenly realized they had feeling for each other in high school.

“And ended with a year left for graduation…” BaekHyun huffed aloud towards the cereal display. He forewent the colorful boxes they used to pick, grabbing the whole grain cinnamon-apple type of cereal he actually likes. He wasn’t the type of guy to eat a lot of sugar infused food, the savory treats were always his favorite. And know he was free to buy everything savory if he wanted. He had to look for the positive aspects in all of this mess, right? 

Six months had gone by after all; it was time he got over it. His friends were worried for him, and he was infinitely grateful for everything they did for him. And BaekHyun understood how difficult they had it, the guys were good friends with the two of them and the last thing he wanted was for them to pick sides in all of this. The problem wasn’t theirs. 

The first two weeks after ChanYeol left, MinSeok and JongDae became regulars at the apartment. Forcing him to eat at least two times a day but letting him sleep if he wanted to, even if it meant he skipped classes. That didn’t last a lot though, by the second week he started to attend his classes every single day. Graduation was around the corner and the prospect of staying for another semester was not in his list. 

By the third week, he had the apartment for himself again, after he convinced his two friends that he was doing fine on his own. He remembered to turn on the heater when it got too cold and that he had to eat every day. 

“You act as if you are my parents.” BaekHyun told MinSeok over the phone one particularly chilly night, he was able to hear JongDae laughing in the background. “But seriously…I’m fine now. Thanks for everything though.” The older male dismissed him with a fatherly smile –seriously, BaekHyun could hear the smile over the phone- 

But a breakdown was to be expected, and it happened during a midnight thunderstorm. BaekHyun was never a fan of thunder or lighting, but he learned to live past them thanks to someone always being there. 

It was awful how the windows shook as the thunders hit, and the apartment felt as empty as it never felt before, making everything worse. Before he realized it, he was already dialing someone’s phone number. It took three rings for him to hang up, cursing at himself and dialing the next person who came to mind. 

“Baek…? Is something wrong?” JongIn’s sleep laced voice resounded over the receiver. BaekHyun took a deep breath before he began to pour his heart out. He told JongIn how he thought everything was going okay, how he felt that he finally got over him but also how he hated that a single storm had him crying over the phone, asking one of his friends to bring some sense into him because he was a few seconds away from making his ex pick up his call. 

After a couple of hours in which JongIn talked BaekHyun to sleep, the latter promised his friend to buy him all the fried chicken his credit could allow him. Neither of them told the others about it, but BaekHyun did developed a softer spot for his younger friend. 

His life started to shape into a routine as the colder days came and went, and as the first rays of the sun warmed the city, BaekHyun found himself tidying up the apartment. Moving furniture from one side to another, buying a lamp he was absolutely sure he needed.

The apartment felt like home again, felt as if it belonged to him and only him. However, for a positive there is always a negative, and it appeared in the form of an old sweatshirt. BaekHyun picked it up. He had worn it a few times, the soft baby-blue fabric was the perfect companion for the chilly days of autumn and the bigger size made it extra comfortable to wear. 

SeHun ringed his doorbell that same evening, being the spontaneous human he was. BaekHyun hadn’t mean to shoo the younger male so soon, but he had to get rid of the sweatshirt as fast as he could. 

“Take it…give it to him. Or keep it. I don’t fucking care.” If anger wasn’t making his blood boil, he would have laughed at how SeHun’s eyes widened and the color drained even more from his complexion. 

BaekHyun made sure to call him later that night to apologize, which SeHun accepted easily after he bribed the older male to buy him banana milk for the rest of the semester. 

And that brings everything back to the nearest off-campus supermarket, where BaekHyun is currently picking up the basic groceries for the rest of the month. MinSeok had left a note pasted to the refrigerator door when he visited for a few hours and found that BaekHyun had only packs of processed cheese and ham that was starting to smell a bit funky, said note reminded him of what things were necessary for a human to survive.

The fifth aisle was the one with the canned soups and microwavable meals, the Holy Grail for college students. BaekHyun scanned the rows of rows full of different types and brands of soup, looking for the one he always craved when he felt lazy but hungry.

_Bingo._ He mentally chanted victory as he found the cheesy-corn soup, the brand that had a cartoon-y cob of corn winking and doing a thumbs up. The jingle from the commercial was the catchiest thing ever and he found himself humming it as he reached for a can of soup, colliding with another person’s hand.

“Ah, sorry” “My bad” 

BaekHyun met eyes with a boy who couldn’t be older than himself –or so he thought. He had blonde hair that looked soft to the touch, a set of rich-brown eyes that were as doe as Bambi’s and a face that belonged in the advertisement of every baby brand. BaekHyun found himself unable to look away. Or breathe. A sense of familiarity radiated from the boy in front of him, and BaekHyun couldn’t really tell why.

“Sorry, I didn’t see you grab for it.” The boy spoke once again, and BaekHyun was sure he heard a slight accent in his voice. He also felt the need to talk so he didn’t come off as a creep.

“It’s okay. I should have paid attention as well.” BaekHyun smiled, feeling his face heat up as the other boy responded with a smile of his own. He must have entered a trance because he just saw the other boy’s lips moving and the can of soup being offered to him.

“I can just grab another one” was the only thing he could hear. So much as to not seem like a creep. 

“A-ah, it’s okay…You can hav-““LuHan, you ready?” 

BaekHyun as if a bucket of frozen cold water was thrown over him when he heard that voice. The same voice he was trying to forget because it belonged to someone who still had effect on him.

“Coming!” The boy –LuHan- smiled at the person at the end of the aisle, smiling the same smile BaekHyun knew all too well. The smile of someone in love. 

LuHan nodded at BaekHyun before walking towards the other person, can of soup in hand. BaekHyun knew he had to look away, walk away, run away if possible; but he just stared as the couple reunited at the end of the aisle. He only looked away when everything clicked and he knew why LuHan seemed familiar. 

BaekHyun walked in the opposite direction of the couple, swallowing the dry lump he had inside his throat.

»※«

LuHan had a big smile on his face as he walked towards his boyfriend, happy that he found the brand ChanYeol liked the most. 

“All set! We can go now, babe.” The blonde put the can inside their basket, letting the other boy clasp their hands together. “Babe? Everything alright?” he questioned when he got no response from his boyfriend.

ChanYeol shook his head before looking straight into his boyfriend’s eyes, smiling widely. The same way LuHan made him smile. “Yeah, don’t worry” he took the other’s hand towards his lips, kissing his knuckles before making their way towards the register. 

“Have I ever told you how good you look in my clothes?” LuHan felt his face heat up as ChanYeol looked intensely at him, punching the taller’s thigh with their joined hands as he laughed. 

“I’m being honest!” LuHan turned towards his boyfriend, hiding his smiling face in the taller boy’s chest. “Baby blue really suits you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, LuHan is wearing the baby-blue sweatshirt that BaekHyun found on his apartment. That's why BaekHyun found him familiar.
> 
> I know some of you don't like the fact that BaekHyun and ChanYeol didn't end up getting back together. And I'm sorry.
> 
> I plan on posting a few of my works now that I'm free from college, I hope that you could support me and my work since I've just recently started posting after being a bit reluctant to do so.
> 
> Once again, comments and feedback are welcomed.


End file.
